Catching up with James Beatty

One thing is certain about James Beatty. If the coveted junior college point guard decides to play basketball at Rutgers University, he’s going to inject a massive dose of personality into the program.

On Sunday night, shortly after his two-day official visit to Piscataway, Beatty answered his cell phone in a high-pitched, female voice—a perfect disguise to avoid unwanted callers.

Once the air was cleared and a laugh was shared by both sides, Beatty dropped his tone an octave and offered a candid assessment of his interest in Rutgers. He has a few other high-major suitors, most notably Baylor.

The pros: The opportunity to play in the Big East and take the reins at point guard from day one.

“That definitely is attractive to me, that their point guard (Anthony Farmer) is graduating and I can go in, work hard and get a lot of time right away rather than going to another program and having to wait and play backup,” he said.

The cons: All the losses Rutgers has piled up over the past couple of years. The Scarlet Knights are a long way from playing in the postseason after logging a 2-16 league record, and junior college players know their window of opportunity is short.

“Mixed emotions about that,” Beatty said. “Last year they didn’t have that much success. But hopefully I can go in and help with some of the things that they were lacking—leadership, having a true point guard, things like that. Hopefully I can go in and contribute and help turn it around and get some of those close loses they had and turn those into wins.”

There is little doubt that Beatty can play. The 6-foot-1 sophomore averaged 13.4 points, 7.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game and shot 39 percent from 3-point range at Miami-Dade Community College, which was ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation this past winter.

A good athlete—though not a burner—Beatty appears to be the instinctual playmaker Rutgers desperately needs.

“I’m like the second coach on the floor,” he said, “the type of player where I can score but at the same time my first priority is to pass and look for my teammates.”

Beatty, who hails from Wilmington, N.C., is likely to make an official visit to Baylor before making a decision. St. John’s and DePaul also have expressed interest. The spring signing period runs April 15-May 20.

“I definitely enjoyed myself this weekend, but I don’t want to rush it,” he said. “I’m probably going to take my time. I know it’s probably killing Rutgers and I feel bad because it’s taking so long.”

He knows Rutgers wants him bad, though. On that count, there have been no disguises.

“That’s a good thing,” he said. “You always want to go to a program where you’re wanted.”

About Jerry Carino

Jerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.

Follow Scarlet Scuttlebutt on Twitter and Facebook

Move your mouse over a day

Scarlet Nation's original spring practice preview series returns with a complete rundown of the team position by position. We'll start things off with a look at the quarterback position and how it is shaping up heading into a new season of Rutgers football.

Spring camp is important for everyone involved with Rutgers football, but some players proved themselves long before the snow (hopefully) melts this spring. We take a look at five proven players for Rutgers and who is in line for the "Brian Leonard treatment" this April.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- In a group setting before practice at the RAC, senior guard Myles Mack discussed his standing in the school history books and his decision to stay through an agonizing coaching change as he prepares for his final home game in a Rutgers uniform.

The two squads were a combined 0-3. It's never a good sign when you lose to an in-state opponent. And both the men and women did just that, losing to Monmouth. What concerns me even more in the case of the men is that it was Monmouth's first win...ever. Monmouth is in its second year […]

Tweets and articles and finger pointing. And a letter from President Barchi to Senator Lesniak. A week ago today, our Dave White posted an article here about things a-happenin' regarding basketball facilities. The news was apparently very gloomy about hoops and facility upgrades. But things were percolating. And then a white knight was apparently on […]

Tymir Oliver, a three-star defensive end out of Philadelphia, is set to visit Rutgers on Monday (NJ.com, March 1). Oliver, a 265-pound junior from West Catholic Preparatory High School, will visit the school with his mother. While he has already secured offers from Boston College, Pitt, Virginia, Connecticut, UMass and Temple, the Scarlet Knights are currently […]

About the Author

Jerry CarinoJerry Carino has covered sports for the Gannett New Jersey newspapers since 1996 and has been on the college basketball beat since 2003. A native of Old Bridge, he also teaches journalism at Kean University.E-mail Jerry

Josh NewmanJosh Newman has worked for the Press since September 2004 and began covering Shore Conference sports full time in September 2006. He is a 2004 graduate of Springfield College with a degree in communications/sports journalism.E-mail Josh

Ryan DunleavyRyan Dunleavy has covered Rutgers athletics for more than a decade, dating back to his days as a student at his alma mater. He became New Jersey Press Media’s Rutgers women’s basketball beat writer in 2009 and Rutgers football beat writer in 2013. Since joining the staff in 2004, the Morris County native also has covered the NFL, MLB, NBA, the Somerset Patriots and high school sports.E-mail Ryan